Weft guide means for shuttleless looms



March 22, 1966 R. DEWAS WEFT GUIDE MEANS FOR SHUTTLELESS LQOMS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 6, 1962 INVENTQR',

R. Dev/as B3 GLJWA gzwr March 22, 1966 R. DEWAS 3,241,576

WEFT GUIDE MEANS FOR SHUTTLELESS LOOMS Filed Sept. 6, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.4

INVENTOR: 7 R. Dewas Gaiudau 526px March 22, 1966 R. DEWAS 3,241,576

WEFT GUIDE MEANS FOR SHUTTLELESS LOOMS Filed Sept. 6, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR: R. Del vans GLLMJAL United States Patent 2,5 3 Claims. (Cl. 139-122) The invention relates to the insertion of different wefts in looms provided with large supply bobbins mounted on the loom frame and from which a continuous weft is fed from outside the shed. The loom is fitted with a pirnless weft-inserter of the type in which the selected weft thread supplied from the bobbin must be positioned to extend from the fell of the cloth to which it is still attached, rearwardly along the plane of the warp so that it can be caught by the weft-inserter as it enters the shed.

In this type of 100m, it is old to provide a plurality of selecting members located above the plane of the fabric at a certain distance outside the selvedge and beyond the point where the weft-inserter comes into contact with the weft thread to be inserted, said location is also in a plane which corresponds approximately to that in which the lay passes when it is located at approximately one-half or two-thirds of its rearward travel. The selecting members serve to bring the selected thread into a position in which said thread is taken by a single presenting lever into a plane corresponding to the plane of the warp so that it is in the path of the weft-inserter which is about to enter the shed. A positioning hook is rigidly fixed to the lay and, owing to the backward movement of the said lay, catches the selected thread between the point at which the weft-inserter is about to come into contact with the weft thread and the point at which the single presenting lever contacts the thread, and in spite of the backward movement of the lay, the weft thread is compelled to continue to pass between the reed and the weft-inserter. This combination of means forms the subject of British Patent No. 696,955 and US. Patent No. 2,609,842 of the present applicant.

The present invention consists in the combination with the plurality of selecting members and the single lever for the presentation of the selected weft thread, of a hook which is mounted on the front face of the guard (end rod) of the reed or in immediate proximity to the said guard, the said hook having a downwardly directed point. The selected weft thread moves into position to be caught by the hook of its own accord as a result of the upward movement of the presenting lever and the forward movement of the weft-inserter as it enters the shed.

This novel combination is characterized by various substantial advantages and especially the following:

The angle formed by the weft thread at its point of contact with the hook is distinctly more open than the angle formed in the prior art arrangement, which results in a reduction of strain on the thread which is conveyed at high speed by the weft-inserter. Moreover, the adjustment of the position of the hook is extremely simple since it is limited to an adjustment for height whereas in the known arrangement of the prior art, it is necessary to carry out an adjustment in three dimensions.

One form of execution of the invention as applicable to a needle-type weaving machine is described below and illustrated diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings which are given solely by way of example without implied limitation, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of the weft guide means of the present invention and related parts of the loom at the moment when the inserting member is about to enter the shed.

FIGURE 2 is a top view corresponding to FIG. 1.

FIGURE 3 is a side view corresponding to FIG. 1.

FIGURE 4 is similar to FIG. 1 but shows the device at the moment when the inserting member has entered the shed and when the weft thread conveyed by this inserting member comes into contact with the reed guard.

FIGURE 5 is a top view corresponding to FIG. 4.

FIGURE 6 is a side view corresponding to FIG. 4.

FIGURE 7 is similar to FIG. 1 but shows the device at the moment when the inserting member is located inside the shed and when the weft thread has entered the locating hook.

FIGURE 8 is a top view corresponding to FIG. 7.

FIGURE 9 is a side view corresponding to FIG. 7.

FIGURE 10 shows the locating hook in a front view on an enlarged scale.

FIGURE 11 is a section along the line XI-XI of FIG. 10.

In these figures, the reference 1 designates the lay and 2 designates the reed; the reference 3 designates the wrap threads, 4 is the reference given to the fell of the cloth and 5 refers to the fabric. The references 6, 7, 8, 9 designates selectors which can be provided in any number desired. An eyelet hole 10 provided in each of said selectors, allows the weft thread 11, 12, 13 or 14 to be conducted through the respective selectors. Each weft thread is fed from a bobbin (not illustrated) and is connected to the selvedge of the fabric 5. The refer ence 15 designates the lever which presents the selected weft thread 11 to the conducting needle 16 which enters the shed. Needle 16 is adapted to subsequently convey the weft thread towards the center of the warp and thereat transfer the said weft thread to a drawing needle (which has not been illustrated) which completes the insertion of the weft.

The reference 17 designates the guard (or end rod) of the reed, on the front face of which is stationarily mounted the positioning hook 18 which terminates in a short downwardly directed point.

The hook 18 is mounted in a position which can be adjusted for height inside an elongated slot 19 formed in the guard 17 by means of a bolt 20 which passes through the round head 18a of the hook and which is secured by means of a nut 21 (as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11).

In certain cases, the hook-can also be placed inside the selvedge in front of the space which separates two prongs between which warp threads are not engaged.

In either case, by reason of the fact that the hook is mounted very close to the selvedge or inside the selvedge, the said hook can be so adjusted as to be located in proximity to the plane of the fabric 5 when the reed 2 beats the weft up against the fabric.

The operation takes place as follows:

The weft thread 11 which has been selected by the selector 6 is brought by the fork-shaped presenting lever 15 into the path of the needle 16 which is about to pass into the shed (as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3).

As soon as the weft thread 11 is caught and conveyed by the needle 16 (as shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6), the presenting lever 15 begins to move upwards while continuing to occupy a position which is set back with re: spect to the reed 2. Consequently, the weft thread 11 which is conducted by the needle 16 comes into contact with the guard 17 of the said reed 2.

As the presenting lever 15 continues to move upwards and the needle 16 continues to move through the shed, the weft thread 11 rises progressively along the guard 3 17 and passes into position, of its own accord, inside the hook 18 (as shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9).

In these last-mentioned figures, the presenting lever 15 is immobilized in the top position and is no longer in contact with the weft thread 11 which the said lever has presented to the needle 16 and the selector 6 continues its return movement towards the front of the loom, the said movement having already been initiated in the position of FIG. 6. The lay then continues its rearward movement well beyond the position shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9, but the hook 18 makes it necessary for the weft thread 11 to continue to pass between the reed 2 and the needle 16.

Towards the end of insertion of the weft, the top layer of the warp threads which is in the course of moving downwards to close up the shed lowers the weft thread 11, thus causing this latter to pass out of the hook 18, whereupon the weft is beaten up by the reed 2 against the fabric in the normal manner.

It will be understood that it will be possible to devise alternative forms, detail improvements and uses of equivalent means without thereby departing from the scope or the spirit of the invention. It accordingly follows that the hook could be made movable, either for the purpose of avoiding the temple cover or for any other purpose.

What I claim is:

1. In a shutterless loom weaving with a plurality of continuous weft threads, in combination with shed forming means operating to form a plurality of sheds, a separate weft thread selecting member for each weft thread, a single weft thread presenting member, an inserting member for the insertion of a selected weft thread into a shed formed by the shed forming means, a lay, a reed carried by said lay for beating-up the weft thread inserted into the shed, and a guard upon the reed; a weft guide consisting of a downwardly directed hook located on the front side of the reed adjacent to the guard thereof.

2. In a shuttleless loom weaving with a plurality of continuous weft threads, in combination with shed forming means operating to form a plurality of sheds, a separate weft thread selecting member for each weft thread, a single weft thread presenting member, an inserting member for the insertion of a selected weft thread into a shed formed by the shed forming means, a lay, a reed carried by said lay for beating-up weft the thread inserted into the shed, said reed having a front side, and a guard carried by the reed; a weft guide consisting of a downwardly directed hook carried by said guard.

3. In a shuttleless loom weaving with a plurality of continuous weft threads, in combination with shed forming means operating to form a plurality of sheds, a separate weft thread selecting member for each weft thread, a single weft thread presenting member, an in,- serting member for the insertion of a selected weft thread into a shed formed by the shed forming means, a lay, a

reed carried by said lay for beating-up the weft threadinserted into the shed, said reed having a front side, and a guard carried by the front side of said reed; a weft guide consisting of a downwardly directed hook and means adjustably connecting said hook with said guard.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,009,472 11/1911 Clark 139-122 2,609,842 9/1952 Dewas 139122 3,092,150 6/1963 Brimans et a1 139-422 FOREIGN PATENTS 541,343 10/1955 Belgium. 1,262,106 5/ 1960 France.

DONALD W. PARKER, Primary Examiner. RUSSELL C. MADER, Examiner.

H. S. JAUDON, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A SHUTTERLESS LOOM WEAVING WITH A PLURALITY OF CONTINUOUS WEFT THREADS, IN COMBINATION WITH SHED FORMING MEANS OPERATING TO FORM A PLURALITY OF SHEDS, A SEPARATE WEFT THREAD SELECTING MEMBER FOR EACH WEFT THREAD, A SINGLE WEFT THREAD PRESENTING MEMBER, AND INSERTING MEMBER FOR THE INSERTION OF A SELECTED WEFT THREAD INTO A SHED FORMED BY THE SHED FORMING MEANS, A LAY, A REED CARRIED BY SAID LAY FOR BEATING-UP THE WEFT THREAD INSERTED INTO THE SHED, AND A GUARD UPON THE REED; A WEFT GUIDE CONSISTING OF A DOWNWARDLY DIRECTED HOOK LOCATED ON THE FRONT SIDE OF THE REED ADJACENT TO THE GUARD THEREOF. 